Rush for gun permits following overturn of California firearms law

The number of applications for concealed weapons permits has exploded in California, especially in rural counties, after a federal court overturned legal restrictions on the traditionally Democratic state's concealed firearms law.

Approximately 56,000 residents in the state of 38 million
currently have concealed weapons permits, which allows residents
to carry weapons “capable of being concealed on the
person,” (i.e. handguns).

On February 13, the 9th US District Court of Appeals ruled by a
2-1 margin that restrictions on carrying handguns was a violation
of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees
Americans the right to bear arms. Gun rights advocates praised
the ruling, asserting that all citizens should have the right to
defend themselves in public. Meanwhile, proponents of stricter
gun laws warned that the decision was reckless.

“We are not holding that the Second Amendment requires the
state to permit concealed carry,” Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain
wrote for the panel. “But the Second Amendment does require
that the states permit some form of carry for self-defense
outside the home.”

California is among eight other states that require residents to
gain permission from the government before they are allowed to
carry a concealed weapon.

There are 58 state and county officials who have the power to
grant the permits. Each county holds residents to different
standards, though, with urban centers set to higher standards
than elsewhere. Last month, the federal court ruled that it is
unconstitutional to require applicants in those areas to show
“good cause” to acquire a permit (with either their life
in immediate danger or having a job where they regularly carry
valuables, for example).

An individual now only needs to show that “clear and present
danger” exists.

Adam Winkler, a UCLA professor and renowned expert on gun laws,
told Maura Dolan and Tony Perry of the Los Angeles Times that the February decision
was “a huge victory for gun owners in California.”

“They have been seeking the right to carry concealed weapons
for years now,” he said, adding that from a regulatory
perspective, California's 2012 ban on open carrying was a
mistake. “Gun control advocates have no one but themselves to
blame for this ruling. You have to give someone some option to
carry a gun.”

Since that decision, a number of county officials have come
forward to report that the number of applications has surged.
While not all of them disclosed official numbers, the Orange
County Sheriff's Department told AP that it has received over
1,000 applications since the ruling – twice the amount that it
typically receives annually.

Ventura, San Joaquin, San Diego, and several rural counties have
also reported an increased number of applications – which cost
between $150 and $300 – since the ruling. Each of those three
counties said that the number in the last month alone has far
exceeded the annual average. None of them have given out any
permits, however, because of a three-month waiting period.

Orange County Sheriff's Department Lieutenant Jeff Hallock told
Paul Elias of the Associated Press that the sheriff will likely
wait until the regulations are settled before granting any
permits.

“The sheriff does respect the ruling of the three-judge
panel,” Hallock said.

Exactly how long that will take remains to be seen. The argument
could go before the US Supreme Court, as the appeals court's
decision stands in contrast to the high court's stance on guns –
which is considered lenient on guns in the home while taking a
more regulatory approach regarding firearms in public.